Vodafone's Sandeep Kataria joins Bata as country manager

Kataria will report to Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, who has been elevated to president, South Asia.

Bata India has appointed Sandeep Kataria as the country manager for the Indian sub-continent. Earlier, he was chief commercial officer at Vodafone India.

Kataria will be reporting to Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, who has been elevated as president of South Asia. Gopalakrishnan will be based in Singapore, and will be responsible for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand markets.

Sandeep Kataria (R), country manager, Bata India, being welcomed by Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, president - Asia SouthSpeaking about his new role, Kataria says, "I am very excited for the opportunity to lead Bata in India - a very strong, trusted and admired brand with immense potential to grow rapidly. I'm looking forward to help take the business to greater heights across many channels, consumer segments and geographies."

Kataria has over two decades of experience in the consumer industry. Previously, he has held roles ranging from regional sales manager to global brand director in Unilever, and from chief marketing officer to chief executive officer in Yum! Brands. He holds a B.Tech degree (Chemical Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Speaking on the appointment, Gopalakrishnan says in a press statement, "I am confident that (Sandeep) Kataria will play a critical role in continuing to build Bata as a contemporary and stylish brand, keeping in mind the changing consumer trend in India, and will drive the company to achieve the accelerated growth plan."